Program Description:
When a patient is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), careful risk assessment is needed, balancing the high risk for AF-associated stroke against the lower risk for bleeding associated with anticoagulation therapy. Patient adherence and cost issues must be considered as well. The availability of targeted treatment offers the potential for improving patient outcomes. This case illustrates parameters and options to be considered in managing patients with AF, particularly the ever-growing number of elderly individuals with AF who might not have received anticoagulant therapy in the past.
For Case 1: A 75-Year-Old Woman With Atrial Fibrillation and Dental Problems, please click here.
For Case 3: An 80-Year-Old Woman with Atrial Fibrillation and Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors, please click here.
Target Audience:
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of primary care physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and hospitalists involved in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Media:
Internet activity
Activity Objectives:
After taking part in this educational activity, participants should be better able to:
- Employ risk stratification strategies to increase identification of stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and aid in selection of therapy
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of anticoagulation therapies to optimize outcomes
- Integrate guidelines for newer/emerging anticoagulant therapies into patient care for stroke prevention in AF, including pharmacoeconomic considerations
- Develop strategies to improve patient counseling/education regarding the benefits and risks of anticoagulation therapy
- Provide appropriate care and counsel for patients and their families
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Credits
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Type
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Accreditation Statement
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Designation Statement
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0.75
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AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM
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This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Haymarket Medical Education. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
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The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
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0.80
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CE for Nurses
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The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
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This educational activity for 0.80 contact hours is provided by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine.
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Faculty:
N. A. Mark Estes, III, MD
Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Director, New England Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, MA
Disclosures:
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) assesses conflict of interest with its instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies utilized in this activity, and patient care recommendations. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.
The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:
N. A. Mark Estes, III, MD, hereby states that he or his spouse/life partner does not have any financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months.
Leslie L. Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, CE Reviewer, hereby states that she is on the advisory board for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:
The following PIM planners and managers, Trace Hutchison, PharmD, Samantha Mattiucci, PharmD, Jan Schultz, RN, MSN, CCMEP, and Patricia Staples, MSN, NP-C, CCRN, hereby state that they or their spouse/life partner do not have any financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months.
The following Haymarket Medical Education planners and managers hereby state the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months: Mary Jo Krey, Senior Project Editor, Lori Marrese, Senior Program Manager, and Roxanne Nelson, RN, medical writer, have no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report.
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of unapproved and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Haymarket Medical Education do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.
The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Haymarket Medical Education. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.
This program is jointly sponsored by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Haymarket Medical Education.
If you have any questions relating to the accreditation of this activity, please contact information@pimed.com.
This program is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Instructions:
There are no fees for participating and receiving CME/CE credit for this activity. During the period December 28, 2011 through December 28, 2012, participants must read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures and study the educational activity.
To obtain credit, a score of 70% or better is required. This CME/CE is offered at no cost to participants. Please proceed with the activity until you have successfully completed this program, answered all test questions, completed the post-test survey, and have received your digital copy of your credit certificate. Your online certificate will be saved on myCME.com within your Profile/Exam History, which you can then access at any time.
Privacy Policy
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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
WINDOWS PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
266-MHz Pentium II; Windows 98 or higher; 64 MB RAM; 800 x 600 screen resolution
set for “High Color (16-Bit)”; Macromedia Flash Player 6 or higher.
MACINTOSH® SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Power Mac g3 at 300 MHz; System 8.5 or higher (excluding Mac OSX); 96 MB RAM; 20
MB minimum hard disk space available; 800 x 600 screen resolution set to “Thousands
of Colors”; Macromedia Flash Player 6 or higher.